Silicon Based Solid State Lighting

ABSTRACT

A semiconductor device includes a substrate comprising a first surface having a first orientation and a second surface having a second orientation and a plurality of III-V compound layers on the substrate, wherein the plurality of III-V compound layers are configured to emit light when an electric current is produced in one or more of the plurality of III-V compound layers.

This application is a divisional of U.S. patent application Ser. No.11/761,446, filed Jun. 12, 2007, of Shaoher X. Pan, entitled, “SiliconBased Solid State Lighting,” which is incorporated herein by referencein its entirety.

BACKGROUND

The present patent application is related to solid-state lightingdevices.

Solid-state light sources, such as light emitting diodes (LEDs) andlaser diodes, can offer significant advantages over other forms oflighting, such as incandescent or fluorescent lighting. For example,when LEDs or laser diodes are placed in arrays of red, green and blueelements, they can act as a source for white light or as a multi-coloreddisplay. In such configurations, solid-state light sources are generallymore efficient and produce less heat than traditional incandescent orfluorescent lights. Although solid-state lighting offers certainadvantages, conventional semiconductor structures and devices used forsolid-state lighting are relatively expensive. One of the costs relatedto conventional solid-state lighting devices is related to therelatively low manufacturing throughput of the conventional solid-statelighting devices.

Referring to FIG. 1, a conventional LED structure 100 includes asubstrate 105, which may, for example, be formed of sapphire, siliconcarbide, or spinel. A buffer layer 110 is formed on the substrate 105.The buffer layer 110, also known as a nucleation layer, serves primarilyas a wetting layer, to promote smooth, uniform coverage of the sapphiresubstrate. The buffer layer 110 is typically formed of GaN, InGaN, AlNor AlGaN and has a thickness of about 100-500 Angstroms. The bufferlayer 310 is typically deposited as a thin amorphous layer using MetalOrganic Chemical Vapor Deposition (MOCVD).

A p-doped group III-V compound layer 120 is then formed on the bufferlayer 110. The p-doped group III-V compound layer 120 is typically GaN.An InGaN quantum-well layer 130 is formed on the p-doped group III-Vcompound layer 120. An active group III-V compound layer 140 is thenformed on the InGaN quantum-well layer 130. An n-doped group III-Vcompound layer 150 is formed on the group III-V layer 140. The p-dopedgroup III-V compound layer 120 is n-type doped. A p-electrode 160 isformed on the n-doped group III-V compound layer 150. An n-electrode 170is formed on the first group III-V compound layer 120.

One drawback of the above described convention LED structure 100 is thelow manufacturing throughput associated with the small substratedimensions. For example, sapphire or silicon carbide substrates aretypically supplied in diameters of 2 to 4 inches. Another drawback ofthe above described convention LED structure 100 is that the suitablesubstrates such as sapphire or silicon carbide are typically notprovided in single crystalline forms. The p-doped group III-V compoundlayer 120 can suffer from cracking due to lattice mismatch even with theassistance of the buffer layer 110. The p-doped group III-V compoundlayer 120 can suffer from cracking or delamination due to differentthermal expansions between the p-doped group III-V compound layer andthe substrate. As a result, light emitting performance of the LEDstructure 100 can be compromised.

Accordingly, there is therefore a need for a semiconductor structureand/or device that provides solid-state lighting using simpler processesand at reduced cost.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

In one aspect, the present invention relates to a semiconductor deviceincluding a substrate comprising a first surface having a firstorientation and a second surface having a second orientation; and aplurality of III-V compound layers on the substrate, wherein theplurality of III-V compound layers are configured to emit light when anelectric current is produced in one or more of the plurality of III-Vcompound layers.

In one aspect, the present invention relates to a semiconductor deviceincluding a silicon substrate comprising a (100) upper surface and aV-shaped trench having a (111) trench surface; a lower III-V compoundlayer on the (100) upper surface and the (111) trench surface; aquantum-well layer on the lower III-V compound layer, wherein thequantum-well layer is configured to emit light when an electric currentis produced in the quantum-well layer; and an upper III-V compound layeron the quantum well layer.

In another aspect, the present invention relates to a method forfabricating a semiconductor device. The method includes forming a trenchhaving a first surface in a substrate having a second surface, whereinthe first surface has a first orientation and the second surface has asecond orientation; forming one or more buffer layers on the firstsurface and the second surface; forming a lower III-V compound layer onthe buffer layer; forming a quantum-well layer on the lower III-Vcompound layer, wherein the quantum-well layer is configured to emitlight when an electric current is produced in the quantum-well layer;and forming an upper III-V compound layer on the quantum-well layer.

Implementations of the system may include one or more of the following.The substrate can include silicon, glass, silicone oxide, sapphire, orstainless steel. The semiconductor device can be a light emitting diode(LED) or a laser diode. The substrate can include a V-shaped or aU-shaped trench. The substrate can include silicon, and wherein thefirst orientation is along the (100) crystal plane direction and thesecond orientation is along a (111) crystal plane direction. Thesemiconductor device can further include one or more buffer layers onthe first surface, or the second surface, or both the first surface andthe second surface, and below the a plurality of III-V compound layers,wherein the one or more buffer layers are configured to reduce latticemismatch between the substrate and at least one of the plurality ofIII-V compound layers. The one or more buffer layers can include amaterial selected from the group consisting of GaN, ZnO, AlN, HfN, AlAs,SiCN, TaN, and SiC. At least one of the one or more buffer layers canhave a thickness in the range of 1 to 1000 Angstroms. The plurality ofIII-V compound layers can include a lower III-V compound layer on thebuffer layer; a quantum-well layer on the lower III-V compound layer,wherein the quantum-well layer is configured to emit light when anelectric current is produced in the quantum-well layer; and an upperIII-V compound layer on the quantum well layer. The lower III-V compoundlayer can be formed of n-doped GaN and the upper III-V compound layer isformed of p-doped GaN. The lower III-V compound layer can be formed ofp-doped GaN and the upper III-V compound layer is formed of n-doped GaN.The quantum-well layer can include a layer formed by a material selectedfrom the group of InN, and InGaN. The quantum-well layer can include alayer formed by a material selected from the group of GaN and AlGaN. Thesemiconductor device can further include a lower electrode on the lowerIII-V compound layer; and an upper electrode on the upper III-V compoundlayer. The upper electrode can include a transparent electricallyconductive material. The upper electrode can include indium-tin-oxide(ITO), Au, Ni, Al, or Ti.

An advantage associated with the disclosed LED structures andfabrication processes can overcome latter mismatch between the groupIII-V layer and the substrate and prevent associated layer cracking inconventional LED structures. The disclosed LED structures andfabrication processes can also prevent cracking or delamination in thep-doped or n-doped group III-V compound layer caused by differentthermal expansions between the p-doped group III-V compound layer andthe substrate. An advantage associated with the disclosed LED structuresis that LED structures can significantly increase light emissionefficiency by increasing densities of the LED structures and byadditional light emissions from the sloped or vertical surfaces in thetrenches.

Another advantage associated with the disclosed LED structures andfabrication processes is that the disclosed LED structures can befabricated using existing commercial semiconductor processing equipmentsuch as ALD and MOCVD systems. The disclosed LED fabrication processescan thus be more efficient in cost and time that some conventional LEDstructures that need customized fabrication equipments. The disclosedLED fabrication processes are also more suitable for high-volumesemiconductor lighting device manufacture. Silicon wafers or glasssubstrates can be used to produce solid state LEDs. Manufacturingthroughput can be much improved since silicon wafer can be provided inmuch larger dimensions (e.g. 6 to 12 inch silicon wafers) compared tothe substrates used in the conventional LED structures. Furthermore, thesilicon-based substrate can also allow driving and control circuit to befabricated in the substrate. The LED device can thus be made moreintegrated and compact than conventional LED devices.

Yet another advantage of the disclosed LED structures and fabricationprocesses is that a transparent conductive layer can be formed on theupper III-V compound layer of the LED structures to increase electriccontact between the upper electrode and the upper Group III-V layer, andat the same time, maximizing light emission intensity from the uppersurfaces of the LED structures.

Embodiments may include one or more of the following advantages. Thedisclosed lighting device and related fabrication processes can providelight devices at higher manufacturing throughput and thus manufacturingcost compared to the conventional light devices. The disclosed lightingdevice and related fabrication processes can also provide moreintegrated light devices that can include light emitting element, adriver, power supply, and light modulation unit integrated on a singlesemiconductor substrate.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The following drawings, which are incorporated in and from a part of thespecification, illustrate embodiments of the present invention and,together with the description, serve to explain the principles of theinvention.

FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional view of a conventional semiconductor-basedLED structure.

FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view of a silicon-based LED structure inaccordance with the present application.

FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view of another silicon-based LED structurein accordance with the present application.

FIG. 4A is a cross-sectional view a silicon-based LED structure built ona V-shaped trench in accordance with the present application.

FIG. 4B is a perspective view of the silicon-based LED structure of FIG.4A.

FIGS. 5A-5I are cross-sectional views at different steps of forming thesilicon-based LED structure of FIG. 4A.

FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view of another silicon-based LED structurebuilt on a U-shaped trench in accordance with the present application.

FIG. 7 is a flowchart for fabricating silicon-based lighting devices ofFIGS. 2-6.

FIG. 8 is another flowchart for fabricating silicon-based lightingdevices of FIGS. 2-6.

FIG. 9 is a cross-sectional view of another silicon-based LED structurein accordance with the present application.

DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

Referring to FIG. 2, a LED structure 200 includes a substrate 205, whichcan have an upper surface in the (111) or a (100) crystalline direction.The substrate 205 can be formed by silicon, silicon oxide, or glass. Fora silicon substrate, the substrate 205 can include a (100) or (111)upper surface. The substrate 205 can also include a complimentary metaloxide semiconductor (CMOS) material that includes an electric circuitryfor driving and controlling the LED structure 200. A buffer layer 210 isformed on the substrate 205. The buffer layer 210 can be formed of GaN,ZnO, AlN, HfN, AlAs, TaN, or SiC. As described below in more details inconjunction with FIG. 6, the buffer layer 210 is deposited on thesubstrate 205 using atomic layer deposition (ALD) in a vacuum chambermaintained at a temperature in the range of 450 C to 750 C, such asabout 600 C. The buffer layer 210 can have a thickness of about 1 to1000 Angstroms such as 10 to 100 Angstroms. The buffer layer 210 can wetand form a uniform layer on the substrate 205. The buffer layer 210 canalso have crystal structures with lattices expitaxially matched to thesubstrate 205 and the lower group III-V compound layer 220.

A lower group III-V compound layer 220 is then formed on the bufferlayer 210. The lower group III-V compound layer 220 is typically formedby n-doped GaN. A quantum-well layer 230 is formed on the group III-Vcompound layer 220. In the present specification, the term “quantumwell” refers to a potential well that confines charge carriers orcharged particles such as electrons and holes to a two-dimensionalplanar region. In a semiconductor light emitting device, the quantumwell can trap excited electrons and holes and define the wavelength oflight emission when the electrons and the holes recombine in the quantumwell and produce photons.

In the present specification, a quantum-well layer can include a uniformlayer or a plurality of quantum wells. For example, a quantum-well layer(e.g. 230, 430, and 630) can include a substantially uniform layer madeof InN, GaN, or InGaN. A quantum-well layer can also include amulti-layer structure defining one or more quantum wells. A quantum wellcan for example be formed by an InGaN layer sandwiched in between twoGaN layers. A quantum well can also be formed by an InGaN layersandwiched in between GaN or AlGaN layers. The quantum-well layer (e.g.230, 430, and 630) can include one or a stack of such layered structureeach defining a quantum well as described above.

The bandgap for InN is about 1.9 eV which is lower than the bandgap forGaN that is at about 3.4 eV. The lower bandgap of the InN or the InGaNlayer can define a potential well for trapping charge carriers such aselectrons and holes. The trapped electrons and holes can recombine toproduce photons (light emission). The bandgap in the InN or the InGaNlayer can therefore determine the colors of the light emissions. Inother words, the colors of light emissions can be tuned by adjusting thecompositions of In and Ga in InGaN. For example, a quantum well canproduce red light emission from an InN layer, green light emission froman In(0.5)Ga(0.5)N layer, and blue light emission from anIn(0.3)Ga(0.7)N in the quantum-well.

An upper group III-V compound layer 240 is then formed on thequantum-well layer 230. The upper group III-V compound layer 240 can beformed by p-type doped GaN such as Al_(0.1)Ga_(0.9)N. The quantum-welllayer 230 can include one or more quantum wells between the lower groupIII-V compound layer 220 and the upper group III-V compound layer 240. Aconductive layer 250 can optionally formed on the upper group III-Vcompound layer 240. The conductive layer 250 can be made of indium-tinoxide (ITO) or a thin layer p-type ohmic metal. An upper electrode 260is formed on the conductive layer 250. The upper electrode 260 can alsobe referred as a p-electrode. A lower electrode 270 is formed on thelower group III-V compound layer 220. The lower electrode 270 can alsobe referred as an n-electrode. The use of transparent ITO material inthe conductive layer 250 can significantly increase the conductivitybetween the electrode 260 and the upper group III-V compound layer 240while maximizing the transmission light out of the upper surface of theconductive layer 250 emitted from the quantum-well layer 230.

In some embodiments, referring to FIG. 3, a LED structure 300 includes asubstrate 205 that can have an upper surface in the (111) or a (100)crystalline direction. A first buffer layer 213 is formed on thesubstrate 205. A second buffer layer 215 is formed on the first bufferlayer 213. A lower group III-V compound layer 220 is then formed on thesecond buffer layer 215. The quantum-well layer 230, the upper groupIII-V compound layer 240, the conductive layer 250, the upper electrode260, and the lower electrode 270 can then be formed successively similarto that described in relation to the LED structure 200.

In some embodiments, referring to FIGS. 4A and 4B, a LED structure 400can be formed on one or more V-shaped trenches 410 in a substrate 405.The substrate 405 can have an upper surface 405A in the (100)crystalline plane direction, which is the most commonly availablesilicon substrate in commerce. The substrate 205 can be formed bysilicon, silicon oxide, or glass. For a silicon substrate, the substrate205 can include a (100) or (111) upper surface. The surfaces 410A, 410Bof the V-shaped trench 410 can be along the (111) crystalline planedirection. The substrate 205 can also include a complimentary metaloxide semiconductor (CMOS) material that includes an electric circuitryfor driving and controlling the LED structure 400.

A buffer layer 415 is formed on the surface 405A of the substrate 405and the sloped surfaces 410A, 410B in the V-shaped trenches 410. Asdescribed in more detail below in conjunction with FIG. 7, the bufferlayer 415 can be formed by one or more materials such as TaN, TiN, GaN,ZnO, AlN, HfN, AlAs, or SiC. The buffer layer 415 can have a thicknessin the range of 1 to 1000 Angstroms, such as 10 to 100 Angstroms.

A lower group III-V compound layer 420 is formed on the buffer layer415. The lower group III-V compound layer 420 can be formed by silicondoped n-GaN. The lower group III-V compound layer 420 can have athickness in the range of 1 to 50 micron such as 10 microns. Aquantum-well layer 430 is formed on the lower group III-V compound layer420. The quantum-well layer 430 can be made of InN or InGaN with athickness in the range of 5 to 200 Angstroms, such as 50 Angstroms. Anupper group III-V compound layer 440 is formed on the quantum-well layer430. The upper group III-V compound layer can be an aluminum doped p-GaNlayer 440 having a thickness in the range of 0.1 to 10 micron such as 1micron. The quantum-well layer 430 can form a quantum well between thelower group III-V compound layer 420 and the upper group III-V compoundlayer 440. A conductive layer 450 is optionally formed on the uppergroup III-V compound layer 440. The conductive layer 450 is at leastpartially transparent. Materials suitable for the conductive layer 450can include ITO and Ni/Au. An upper electrode 460 can be formed on theconductive layer 450 (or the upper group III-V compound layer 440 inabsence of the conductive layer 450). The inclusion of the conductivelayer 450 can be at least determined whether the substrate 405 isthinned to all allow more emitted light to exit the LED structure 450.The conductive layer 450 is preferably included is the substrate 405 isnot thinned so more light can exit the LED structure 450. A lowerelectrode 470 can then be formed on the lower group III-V compound layer420.

The quantum-well layer 430 can form a quantum well for electric carriersin between the lower group III-V compound layer 420 and the upper groupIII-V compound layer 440. An electric voltage can be applied across thelower electrode 470 and the upper electrode 460 to produce an electricfield in the quantum-well layer 430 to excite carriers in the quantumwell formed by the The quantum-well layer 430 can form a quantum wellfor electric carriers in between the lower group III-V compound layer420 and the upper group III-V compound layer 440. The recombinations ofthe excited carriers can produce light emission. The emissionwavelengths are determined mostly by the bandgap of the material in thequantum-well layer 430.

In some embodiments, referring to FIG. 6, a LED structure 600 includes asubstrate 605 having one or more U-shaped trenches 610. The U-shapedtrenches 610 can have surfaces substantially vertical to the uppersurface of a substrate 605. A buffer layer 610 is formed on the uppersurfaces of the substrate 605 and the side surfaces in the U-shapedtrenches 610. A lower group III-V compound layer 620 is then formed onthe buffer layer 610. An quantum-well layer 630, an upper group III-Vcompound layer 640, an optional conductive layer 650, an upper electrode660, and a lower electrode 670 can then be formed successively similarto that described in relation to the LED structures 200, 300, or 400.

An advantage for the LED structures formed in the trenches is that thelight emission from the sloped or vertical surfaces in the V-shaped andU-shaped trenches (410 and 610) can be more effective than flathorizontal surfaces. Light emission efficiency can thus be significantlyincreased.

Referring to FIGS. 5A-5I, and 7, the fabrication process of the LEDstructure 400 (200, 300, or 600) can include the following steps. A masklayer 401 is formed on the substrate 405 (FIG. 5A). The substrate 405has an upper surface 405A. The openings 402 in the mask layer 401 areintended to define the locations and the openings of the trenches to beformed. One or more V-shaped trenches 410 are formed in a substrate 405(step 710, FIG. 5B). The V-shaped trench 410 can be formed by chemicallyetching of the substrate 405. For example, an etchant may have a sloweretching rate for the (111) silicon crystal plane than in othercrystalline plane directions. The etchant can thus create V-shapedtrenches 410 in the substrate 405 wherein the trench surfaces 410A, 410Bare along the (111) silicon crystal planes. The U-shaped trenches 610can be formed by directional plasma etching. For the LED structures 200and 300, the step 710 can be skipped.

One or more buffer layers can next be next formed on the substrate 405using atomic layer deposition (ALD) or MOCVD (step 720). For example, afirst buffer layer 213 (or 210) is next formed on the substrate 205using atomic layer deposition (ALD) (step 720). The substrate 205 can bea (111) or a (100) silicon wafer. The buffer layer 213 or 210 can beformed of GaN, ZnO, AlN, HfN, AlAs, or SiC. The atomic layer depositionof the buffer material can be implemented using commercial equipmentsuch as IPRINT™ Centura® available from Applied Material, Inc. Theatomic layer deposition can involve the steps of degassing of a vacuumchamber, the application of a precursor material, and deposition of thebuffer material monolayer by monolayer. The substrate (or the chamber)temperature can be controlled at approximately 600 C. The layerthickness to form nucleation in an ALD process can be as thin 12angstrom, much thinner than the approximately thickness of 300 angstromrequired by MOCVD for buffer layer formation in some convention LEDstructure (e.g. the LED structure 100 depicted in FIG. 1). The step 720can also be referred as ALD of a low temperature buffer layer.

The first buffer layer 213 is deposited on the substrate 205 usingatomic layer deposition (ALD) in a vacuum chamber maintained at arelatively lower temperature in a range of 450 C to 950 C, such as 600C. The second buffer layer 215 is deposited on the first buffer layer213 using atomic layer deposition (ALD) in a vacuum chamber maintainedat a relatively higher temperature in a range of 750 C to 1050 C, suchas 900 C. The first and second buffer layers 213 and 215 can be formedof GaN, ZnO, AlN, HfN, AlAs, or SiC. The first and second buffer layer213 or 215 can have a thickness of about 20-300 Angstroms. The crystalstructure of the first buffer layer 213 can have lattices expitaxiallymatched to the substrate 205. The second buffer layer 215 can havelattices expitaxially matched to the crystal structure of the firstbuffer layer 213 and the lower group III-V compound layer 220. Themultiple buffer layers in the LED structure 300 can provide smootherlattice matched transition from the substrate 205 to the lower groupIII-V compound layer 220.

A second buffer layer 215 is next formed on the first buffer layer 213using ALD (this step is skipped in the fabrication of the LED structure300). The material and processing parameters for the second buffer layer215 can be similar to those for the first buffer layer 213 except thesubstrate (or the chamber) temperature can be controlled atapproximately 1200 C during ALD of the second buffer layer 215. The ALDformation of the buffer layer 210, 213, or 215 on the substrate 205 canreduce or prevent the formation of crystal defects in the buffer layerin some conventional LED structures, which can thus improve the lightemitting efficiency of the LED device.

For the LED structure 400, the buffer layer 415 can be formed by MOCVD,PVD, or ALD on the surface 405A of the substrate 405 and the slopedsurfaces 410A, 410B in the V-shaped trenches 410. The buffer layer 415can be formed by ALD of TaN or TiN materials. In other examples, theformation of the buffer layer 415 can include one of the followingprocedures: depositions of AlN at 1000 C and GaN at 1000 C using MOCVD,deposition of GaN at 700 C using MOCVD followed by deposition of GaN at1000 C using MOCVD, deposition of HfN at 500 C using PVD followed bydeposition of GaN using MBE at 700 C, and deposition of SiCN at 1000 Cusing MOCVD followed by deposition of GaN at 1000 C using MOCVD.

The materials suitable for the buffer layer 415 can also include GaN,ZnO, AlN, HfN, AlAs, or SiC. The buffer layer 415 can also be formed byALD using the steps described above in relation to the formations of thebuffer layers 213 and 215. Fro example, the ALD formation of the bufferlayer 415 can involve the use of TaN or TiN and a layer thickness of 10to 100 angstromes. Atomic layer deposition (ALD) is a “nano” technology,allowing ultra-thin films of a few nanometers to be deposited in aprecisely controlled way. ALD has the beneficial characteristics ofself-limiting atomic layer-by-layer growth and highly conformal to thesubstrate. For the formation of buffer layer in the LED structures, ALDcan use two or more precursors such as liquid halide or organometallicin vapor form. The ALD can involve heat to dissociate the precursorsinto the reaction species. One of the precursors can also be a plasmagas. By depositing one layer per cycle, ALD offers extreme precision inultra-thin film growth since the number of cycles determines the numberof atomic layers and therefore the precise thickness of deposited film.Because the ALD process deposits precisely one atomic layer in eachcycle, complete control over the deposition process is obtained at thenanometer scale. Moreover, ALD has the advantage of capable ofsubstantially isotropic depositions. ALD is therefore beneficial fordepositing buffer layers on the sloped surfaces 410A and 410B in theV-shape trenches 410, and the vertical surfaces in the U-shape trench610.

One advantage for forming the buffer layer 415 on the surfaces 410A and410B in the V-shape trenches 410 is that the (111) crystalline directionof the surfaces 410A and 410B can allow better lattice matching betweensilicon substrate, the buffer layer 415, and the lower group III-Vcompound layer 420. Better lattice matching can significantly reduce thecracking problems caused by lattice mismatches in some convention LEDstructures.

A lower group III-V compound layer 420 is next formed on the bufferlayer 415 (step 730, FIG. 5D). The lower group III-V compound layer 420can be formed by an n-type doped GdN material. GaN can be grown on thebuffer layer 415 using MOCVD while silicon is doped. The silicon dopingcan enhance tensile stresses to make the compression and tensilestrengths more balanced. As a result, cracks can be substantiallyprevented in the formation of the lower group III-V compound layer 420.

A quantum-well layer 430 is next formed on the lower group III-Vcompound layer 430 (step 740, FIG. 5E). The quantum-well layer 430 caninclude can include a substantially uniform layer made of InN, GaN, orInGaN The quantum-well layer 430 can also include a multi-layerstructure defining one or more quantum wells. A quantum well can forexample be formed by an InGaN layer sandwiched in between two GaN layersor AlGaN layers. The quantum-well layer 430 can include one or a stackof such layered structure each defining a quantum well.

An upper group III-V compound layer 440 is formed on the quantum-welllayer 430 (step 750, FIG. 5F). Instead of having the lower group III-Vcompound layer 420 n-type doped and the upper group III-V compound layer440 p-type doped, the lower group III-V compound layer 420 can be p-typedoped and the upper group III-V compound layer 440 can be n-type doped(as shown in the flow chart of FIG. 8).

A transparent conductive layer 450 can next be optionally formed on theupper group III-V compound layer 440 (step 760, FIG. 5G). The formationof the quantum-well layer can include multiple MOCVD steps. For example,each of the multiple steps can include the deposition of a layer 50Angstroms in thickness.

The quantum-well layer 430, the upper group III-V compound layer 440,and the conductive layer 450 can also be formed by MOCVD. The MOCVDformations of the lower group III-V compound layer 420, the quantum-welllayer 430, the upper group III-V compound layer 440, and the conductivelayer 450 and the ALD formation of the buffer layers 415 can be formedin a same ALD/CVD chamber system to minimize the number times thesubstrate's moving in and out of vacuum chambers. The process throughputcan be further improved. Impurities during handling an also be reduced.

The quantum-well layer 430, the upper group III-V compound layer 440,and the conductive layer 450 can next be coated by a photo resist andpatterned by photolithography. Portions of the quantum-well layer 430,the upper group III-V compound layer 440, and the conductive layer 450can then be removed by wet etching to expose a portion of the uppersurface of the lower group III-V compound layer 420 (step 770, FIG. 5H).

The upper electrode 460 is next formed on the conductive layer 450 (step780, FIG. 5H). The upper electrode 460 can include Ni/Au bi-layers thathave thicknesses of 12 nm and 100 nm respectively. The fabrication ofthe upper electrode 460 can involve the coating a photo resist layer onthe conductive layer 450 and the exposed upper surface of the lowergroup III-V compound layer 420. The photo resist layer is then patternedusing photolithography and selectively removed to form a mask. Electrodematerials are next successively deposited in the openings in the mask.The unwanted electrode materials and the photo resist layer aresubsequently removed.

The lower electrode 470 is next formed on the lower group III-V compoundlayer 420 (FIG. 5H). The lower electrode 470 can include AuSb/Aubi-layers. The AuSb layer is 18 nm in thickness whereas the Au layer is100 nm in thickness. The formation of the lower electrode 470 can alsobe achieved by forming photo resist mask having openings on the lowergroup III-V compound layer 420, the depositions of the electrodematerials and subsequent removal of the unwanted electrode materials andthe photo resist layer. The LED structure 400 is finally formed.

Optionally, referring to FIG. 5I, a protection layer 480 can beintroduced over the LED structure 400 for protecting it from moisture,oxygen, and other harmful substance in the environment. The protectionlayer 480 can be made of a dielectric material such as silicon oxide,silicon nitride, or epoxy. The protection layer can be patterned toexpose the upper electrode 460 and the lower electrode 470 to allow themto receive external electric voltages. In some embodiments, theprotection layer can also include thermally conductive materials such asAl and Cu to provide proper cooling the LED structure 400.

FIG. 8 is a flowchart for fabricating the LED structure 400 (200, 300,or 600). The steps 810-880 are similar to the steps 710-780 except thelower III-V compound layer is p-type doped and the upper III-V compoundlayer is n-type doped, which is the opposite to the sequence for the twodoped III_V layers shown in FIG. 7.

In some embodiments, referring to FIG. 9, a LED structure 900 is similarto the LED structure 900 except for multi-faceted surfaces 910 are firstformed on the substrate 205. The buffer layer 210 is formed on themulti-faceted surfaces 910. The upper surface 205A of the substrate canfor example be in the (100) direction (that is the case for most commonsilicon substrates). The multi-faceted surfaces 910 can be along the(111) crystalline direction. The period of the multi-faceted surfaces910 can be in the range between 0.1 micron and 5 microns. The advantageof the multi-faceted surfaces 910 is that they can help decrease stressdue to the latter mismatch between the substrate 205 and the lower III-Vcompound layer 220.

The disclosed LED structures and fabrication processes can include oneor more of the following advantages. The disclosed LED structures andfabrication processes can overcome associated with can overcome lattermismatch between the group III-V layer and the substrate and preventassociated layer cracking in conventional LED structures. The disclosedLED structures and fabrication processes can also prevent cracking ordelamination in the p-doped or n-doped group III-V compound layer causedby different thermal expansions between the p-doped group III-V compoundlayer and the substrate. An advantage associated with the disclosed LEDstructures is that LED structures can significantly increase lightemission efficiency by increasing densities of the LED structures and byadditional light emissions from the sloped or vertical surfaces in thetrenches.

An advantage associated with the disclosed LED structures andfabrication processes is that LED structures can be built in trenches ina substrate. Light emission efficiency can significantly increase by thelight emission from the sloped or vertical surfaces in the trenches.Another advantage of the disclosed LED structures and fabricationprocesses is that silicon wafers can be used to produce solid stateLEDs. Manufacturing throughput can be much improved since silicon wafercan be provided in much larger dimensions (e.g. 8 inch, 12 inch, orlarger) compared to the substrates used in the conventional LEDstructures. Furthermore, the silicon-based substrate can also allowdriving and control circuit to be fabricated in the substrate. The LEDdevice can thus be made more integrated and compact than conventionalLED devices. Another advantage associated with the disclosed LEDstructures and fabrication processes is that the disclosed LEDstructures can be fabricated using existing commercial semiconductorprocessing equipment such as ALD and MOCVD systems. The disclosed LEDfabrication processes can thus be more efficient in cost and time thatsome conventional LED structures that need customized fabricationequipments. The disclosed LED fabrication processes are also moresuitable for high-volume semiconductor lighting device manufacture. Yetanother advantage of the disclosed LED structures and fabricationprocesses is that multiple buffer layers can be formed to smoothly matchthe crystal lattices of the silicon substrate and the lower group III-Vcompound layer. Yet another advantage of the disclosed LED structuresand fabrication processes is that a transparent conductive layer can beformed on the upper III-V compound layer of the LED structures toincrease electric contact between the upper electrode and the upperGroup III-V layer, and at the same time, maximizing light emissionintensity from the upper surfaces of the LED structures.

The foregoing descriptions and drawings should be considered asillustrative only of the principles of the invention. The invention maybe configured in a variety of shapes and sizes and is not limited by thedimensions of the preferred embodiment. Numerous applications of thepresent invention will readily occur to those skilled in the art.Therefore, it is not desired to limit the invention to the specificexamples disclosed or the exact construction and operation shown anddescribed. Rather, all suitable modifications and equivalents may beresorted to, falling within the scope of the invention. For example, then-doped and the p-doped group III-V compound layers can be switched inposition, that is, the p-doped group III-V compound layer can bepositioned underneath the quantum-well layer and n-doped group III-Vcompound layer can be positioned on the quantum-well layer. Thedisclosed LED structure may be suitable for emitting green, blue, andemissions of other colored lights.

It should be noted that the disclosed systems and methods are compatiblewith a wide range of applications such as laser diodes, blue/UV LEDs,Hall-effect sensors, switches, UV detectors, micro electrical mechanicalsystems (MEMS), and RF power transistors. The disclosed devices mayinclude additional components for various applications. For example, alaser diode based on the disclosed device can include reflectivesurfaces or mirror surfaces for producing lasing light. For lightingapplications, the disclosed system may include additional reflectors anddiffusers.

It should also be understood that the presently disclosed semiconductordevices are not limited to the trenches described above. A substrate caninclude a first surface having a first orientation and a second surfacehaving a second orientation. The first and the second surfaces may ormay not form a trench or part of a trench. A plurality of III-V compoundlayers can be formed on the substrate. The III-V compound layers canemit light when an electric current is produced in the III-V compoundlayers.

1. A method comprising: on a semiconductor substrate, forming a firstsurface on a second surface, such that the first surface and the secondsurface have different orientations; forming one or more buffer layerson the first surface and the second surface; forming a lower III-Vcompound layer on the one or more buffer layers; forming a quantum-welllayer on the lower III-V compound layer, wherein the quantum-well layeris configured to emit light when an electric current is produced in thequantum-well layer; and forming an upper III-V compound layer on thequantum-well layer.
 2. The method of claim 1, wherein the one or morebuffer layers are formed by atomic layer deposition (ALD), Metal OrganicChemical Vapor Deposition (MOCVD), Plasma Enhanced Chemical VaporDeposition (PECVD), Chemical Vapor Deposition (CVD), or Physical vapordeposition (PVD).
 3. The method of claim 1, wherein the one or morebuffer layers are deposited on the substrate at a temperature in a rangeof 450° C. to 750° C. or in a range of 750° C. to 1050° C.
 4. The methodof claim 3, wherein the one or more buffer layers comprise a materialselected from the group consisting of GaN, ZnO, AlN, HfN, AlAs, SiCN,TaN, and SiC.
 5. The method of claim 1, further comprising: forming alower electrode on the lower III-V compound layer; and forming an upperelectrode on the upper III-V compound layer.
 6. A method comprising:forming a trench which has a first surface in a semiconductor substratewhich has a second surface; forming one or more buffer layers on thefirst surface and the second surface; forming a lower III-V compoundlayer on the one or more buffer layers; forming a quantum-well layer onthe lower III-V compound layer, wherein the quantum-well layer isconfigured to emit light when an electric current is produced in thequantum-well layer; and forming an upper III-V compound layer on thequantum-well layer.
 7. The method of claim 6, wherein the one or morebuffer layers are formed by atomic layer deposition (ALD), Metal OrganicChemical Vapor Deposition (MOCVD), Plasma Enhanced Chemical VaporDeposition (PECVD), Chemical Vapor Deposition (CVD), or Physical vapordeposition (PVD).
 8. The method of claim 6, wherein the one or morebuffer layers are deposited on the substrate at a temperature in a rangeof 450° C. to 750° C. or in a range of 750° C. to 1050° C.
 9. The methodof claim 8, wherein the one or more buffer layers comprise a materialselected from the group consisting of GaN, ZnO, AlN, HfN, AlAs, SiCN,TaN, and SiC.
 10. The method of claim 6, further comprising: forming alower electrode on the lower III-V compound layer; and forming an upperelectrode on the upper III-V compound layer.
 11. A method comprising:forming a trench which has a first surface in a semiconductor substratewhich has a second surface, such that the trench is formed in the secondsurface; forming one or more buffer layers on the first surface and thesecond surface; forming a lower III-V compound layer on the one or morebuffer layers; forming a quantum-well layer on the lower III-V compoundlayer, wherein the quantum-well layer is configured to emit light whenan electric current is produced in the quantum-well layer; and formingan upper III-V compound layer on the quantum-well layer.
 12. The methodof claim 11, further comprising: forming a transparent conductiveelectrode layer on the upper III-V compound layer; selectively removingthe quantum-well layer and the upper III-V compound layer to expose thelower III-V compound layer; and forming electrodes on the lower III-Vcompound layer and upper III-V compound layer.
 13. The method of claim11, wherein the one or more buffer layers are formed by atomic layerdeposition (ALD), Metal Organic Chemical Vapor Deposition (MOCVD),Plasma Enhanced Chemical Vapor Deposition (PECVD), Chemical VaporDeposition (CVD), or Physical vapor deposition (PVD).
 14. The method ofclaim 11, wherein the one or more buffer layers are deposited on thesubstrate at a temperature in a range of 450° C. to 750° C. or in arange of 750° C. to 1050° C.
 15. The method of claim 14, wherein the oneor more buffer layers comprise a material selected from the groupconsisting of GaN, ZnO, AlN, HfN, AlAs, SiCN, TaN, and SiC.